© 1985 Oxford University Press
research-article |
PLASMA TRYPTOPHAN, AGE AND DEPRESSION
Liverpool Polytechnic Liverpool
Subdepartment of Geriatric Medicine, University of Liverpool
*Address requests for reprints to Dr C. Powell, Department of Geriatric Medicine, St Boniface Hospital, 409 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2H 2A6.
Plasma, obtained from 131 nondepressed, otherwise healthy subjects aged from 17 to 102 years, and 22 depressed subjects aged over 70 years, was analysed for total and free tryptophan. Variation with age was found in total tryptophan. This association has not been described hitherto. There was a significant increase in total tryptophan and a non-significant increase in free tryptophan with depression. This is in contrast to some studies in younger people showing a decline in plasma tryptophan in depressed subjects.
accepted in revised form July 5, 1984.